AFRL’s Bio-inspired Wide-Angle Field-of-View Sensing

AFRL’s Bio-inspired Wide-Angle Field-of-View Sensing

Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Munitions Directorate are working in the Natural Systems Sensing Lab to better understand and characterize insect vision and learn how they are able to quickly and efficiently process visual data to precisely fly and navigate in the environment. In this picture, researchers are using the BioDome, a wide-angle field-of-view projector, to project a simulated insect flight through the environment. In the closeup you can see an insect being prepped to "fly" in the virtual environment so that researchers can better understand how the insect flies and navigates.

Image courtesy of AFRL

The Natural Systems Sensing Lab is basically an optics lab with unique instrumentation developed in-house to investigate and characterize optical properties of insect vision systems, the compound eyes and the ocelli. The purpose of the lab is to provide inspiration, based on detailed understanding of how insect vision systems work, to lead to novel, more capable weapon seekers and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) sensors.